The Crown's Fate

March 1, 2017
The 1825 Decembrist rebellion is co-opted for the second half of a lavish, Tolstoy-tinged fantasy duology, the sequel to The Crown's Game (2016).Vika may now be the Russian Imperial Enchanter, but she cannot overcome her resentment against Pasha, the not-yet-crowned tsesarevich, either for forcing the deadly end of the Crown's Game or for his autocratic commands. Meanwhile, Nikolai's sacrifice left him trapped in an enchanted dream, seething with jealousy and despair; unwittingly feeding on dark energy frees him into a shadowy almost-life, plotting bloody vengeance against Pasha, who is his half brother. The operatic plot and outsized passions of the first title skated on the edge of melodrama; this follow- up, however, tips over into trite bathos. Neither the tiresome romantic quadrangle among the all-white characters nor the muddled magical system is improved by prose marred with clunky metaphors and a preference to tell rather than show. Vika's brash willfulness and Pasha's feckless insecurity fit poorly with their serious responsibilities; while both mature somewhat into their duties, they continue to value personal inclination over the common good. Worse, the narrative permits Nikolai to indulge his selfish petulance and bitter envy even to the gruesome suffering and death of (literally) thousands. Readers may well prefer the bittersweet, ambiguous ending of the first volume to this overly pat conclusion. (Fantasy. 12-18)

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May 1, 2017

Gr 8 Up-Though the Crown's Game may have ended in Book 1, there is still much in store for Vika, Nikolai, and Pasha. This title opens with Vika mid-evanescence, as she is performing yet another mundane task for the tsardom since winning the Crown's Game and the role of Russian Imperial Enchantress. Vika wants nothing more than to be reunited with Nikolai, her adversary-turned-friend, but since he sacrificed himself so she could live (and win the game), Nikolai has been trapped in a dream version of the Kazakh steppe. Motivated by revenge, Nikolai manages to escape his prison and return to Saint Petersburg. His plan? Kill Tsesarevich Pasha and take the throne. Vika tries to reconcile the demands of the state (Pasha) with the deeper ancient connection (the magical Bolshebnoie Duplo) binding her to outlaw Nikolai. With so much of Vika's energy devoted to empathizing with and reacting to the actions of Pasha and Nikolai, her boldness, so central to the first installment, is sadly missing. There are a number of underdeveloped side plots: Baba Yaga's chicken-legged house makes an appearance, and the Decembrist revolt plays a role in reuniting the trio, but their rejoicing at the triumph of the monarchy hits a sour note in hindsight. A tavern scene in which gamblers are briefly overheard gloating about sexual assault feels out of place for the series. VERDICT An uneven follow-up; consider only for fans of the first installment.-Della Farrell, School Library Journal

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